Mountains and rivers are waiting for you to return

Chapter 20: Dengyun Heroes Conference
"But if we don't persuade you to go back, we will be punished." The little maid Beiju was anxious and aggrieved.

Pei Nai patted her shoulder, "Okay, okay, let's compromise. The Ju Mansion is so boring. You two can follow me and relax outside. We will go back together. If they ask you, you can just say that you just found me and dragged me back without saying anything. Isn't that enough? It will also give them the illusion that you have been running around outside for an afternoon. How great is that?"

Beiju and Qingzhu looked at each other, unable to refute.

"Yixi and I have agreed to meet at the east entrance of Bagua Street. Anyway, you two are too small to carry me, so why don't you come together?" Pei Nai discussed with them half-tricking and half-temptingly.

The two little maids hesitated for a long time, and finally nodded with a sad face.

Pei Nai was walking in front, and the two of them followed her silently. Not long after walking and turning a corner, Pei Nai saw Yi Xi who had come early and was waiting for her. Yi Xi waved at her happily.

When they got there, Yixi couldn't wait to pull her over, "Look!"

Pei Nai looked in the direction she pointed, and saw that the main street of the city outside Bagua Street was crowded with people. People were shoulder to shoulder, blocking the road.

"Why is it so lively?" Pei Nai asked curiously.

"Today is the registration day for the annual Dengyun Heroes Conference. The deadline is coming soon. Once the deadline is reached, the audience and contestants can enter." Yixi pointed to the three-story high wall next to her. "Look, it's in the Li Gua area of the Bagua Commercial Street next door. It's called the Holy Fire Fighting Arena."

Pei Nai had heard of the Li Gua area of Bagua Commercial Street. The symbol of Li Gua means emptiness in the middle, so the commercial buildings in the middle row of this area had to be separated to create a vacant space.

After demolition and reconstruction, all the buildings were transformed into a three-story trapezoidal viewing platform with seats arranged on it, and the open space in the middle was expanded to become a fighting arena.

Yixi smiled and said, "My father gave me the ticket. We are the VIP table with the best viewing angle. I know you will like it, so I brought you here specially. Shall we go in now?"

Pei Nai was naturally happy, she loved watching martial arts competitions and was already impatient at the moment.

They walked towards the crowded entrance of the fighting arena.

An old man selling candied haws appeared in Pei Nai's sight.

Pei Nai hurriedly said, "Wait a moment." Then he strode over, took out his wallet and bought three candied haws.

She held the stick for the candied haws, avoided the passers-by and returned to hand it to the two little maids who were standing there stupidly, "One candied haws each, stop frowning, smile!"

Beiju and Qingzhu took the candied haws, their expressions relaxed a bit, and they both smiled, "Thank you, Miss."

"That's right, you look so beautiful when you smile." Pei Nai handed another candied haws to Yixi, but Yixi shook her head and refused. Pei Nai felt a little regretful and wondered what to do with the extra candied haws?
There was a crowd of people waiting to enter around him, and the conversation between two people came clearly into Pei's ears.

"Did you know? The ultimate reward for this year's Dengyun Heroes Conference is the ancient magic weapon that has disappeared for eleven years, the Hunxi Whip."

When Pei Nai heard those three words, his body froze and he almost dropped the candied haws in his hand.

The man's companions were surprised. "It's the Blood Whip of Ten Thousand Mountains, the most powerful of the Five Mountains? How dare they do this?!"

"It's just a gimmick. The Dengyun Heroes Conference already has enough fame and status in Tianyao, but if we want heroes from other countries to come to Chaoyang to participate, how can they come from thousands of miles away without attractive enough rewards? Didn't you see how many foreigners there are around? In my opinion, this competition will definitely be much more exciting than previous years." The stranger showed some longing.

His companions were full of doubts, and even a little indignant for a moment, "The government doesn't care? The Han family has made outstanding contributions, and generations have joined the army. There are always generals in every generation. They are a well-deserved family of generals, and they were once half of the pillars of the Pei family army! The Zhubei Spear is the symbol of Tianyao's military power, and the Wanyue Blood Whip is the belief of thousands of Tianyao people. How can he be allowed to tarnish it in one competition?!"

A stranger who was listening to the excitement nearby interrupted and said, "Brother, you don't know that the only remaining bloodline of the Han family, the former Left Cavalry General Han Ruize, offended Duke Duan Ding. The ultimate reward of this competition was also tacitly approved by the government."

Han Ruize.
Fragmented images flashed through Pei Nai's eyes again.

The young man sat on the deserted beach, with a bright light in his eyes. He looked at her with a proud smile, and the boundless Milky Way became dim.

How could she forget? Thirty years of fame and glory are dust and dirt, eight thousand miles of journey are clouds and moon
They grew up in the military camp, accompanied each other in the days and nights of martial arts training, were childhood friends with no suspicion of each other, and rode horses and fine clothes together in their youth.

It’s a pity that they missed each other in time. One day she became a wife, and he became a minister.

When they met again, they were the only descendants of the Pei and Han families, shouldering the heavy responsibility of their ancestors and the territory of their motherland. Pei Nai finally took over the Zhubei spear, put on the same battle robe as him, and became his chief coach.

Pei Nai's throat choked.

She knew that the Wanyue Blood Whip made the Pei family army what it is, and the Pei family army made the Shangsanshan Zhubei Spear what it is.

But the Zhubei Gun is now hanging high above the central square of Tianyao, guarded by soldiers day and night for the world to admire.

Wan Yue Blood Whip disappeared eleven years ago when Han Ruize's elder brother died on the battlefield.

The whip didn't even reach Han Ruize's hands.

The conversation between the passers-by continued. "I know that Han Ruize has retired to the mountains after the battle of Yagu ten years ago. Do you think he will come to this competition? We can't let the Hunxi Whip fall into the hands of outsiders."

"Alas, the emperor and the people are unwilling to see Wanyue Blood Whip fall to this state. Duke Duan Ding must be using the Hunxi Whip to force Han Ruize to give in. After all, after so many years, Madam Yingwu is still buried in the wilderness, and no one knows where she is."

Pei Nai was about to speak and ask when there was a commotion behind him.

She turned around and saw that the old man who had sold her the candied haws had fallen to the ground, with straw sticks and candied haws scattered all over the ground, making a mess.

Passersby stopped and looked at him, wondering what had happened.

A sturdy man with a hammer on his back stood near the old man and cursed angrily: "You dog, don't you have eyes? Are you bumping into me?"

One of his black-robed companions stopped him and said, "Xiao Ren, there are so many people watching. It's getting late. The more important thing now is the competition."

The man carrying the hammer glared at the old man on the ground, and at the urging of his companions, he left the area with his servants.

Pei Nai wanted to go over and help the old man, but he had already been helped up by someone else.

"Who is this person? How dare he rude to an old man like this?" Qingzhu said angrily as he watched the group of people leaving.

Yixi was also very unhappy, "He looks unfamiliar, he must be from a foreign country."

Pei Nai narrowed his eyes, staring at the pair of hammers on the man's back, and said in a deep voice: "If I'm not mistaken, this man is Xing Xiaoren, the eldest son of Xing Taizhao, the Master of the Wind and Thunder Eight Spindle Hammers."

　【Ju Yan/Character Story Card】（2/2）

　　But after he followed Gu Jinheng, their plans and actions became extremely difficult.

　　Because my master suffers from a mute disease, he is not valued by Marquis Duan Ding, and the right of succession to the title is almost firmly in the hands of his eldest brother.

　　Until Pei Nai, the eldest daughter of the Pei family and the only descendant of the Pei family, fell in love with my grandfather and they got married.

　　Everything changed dramatically. Their work became smoother than ever before. Marquis Duan Ding also looked at me differently and had to take me seriously.

　　Gu Jinheng is no longer a mute bastard of low status, but the Pei family's son-in-law and a strong contender for the title of Marquis Duanging.

　　Even because of the military power behind the Pei family, later on, the emperor and Marquis Duan Ding directly entrusted the third prince Xiao Mingyi to me.

　　They all thought that the master was just using his wife and didn't have much affection for her.

　　It was not until Mrs. Pei Nai's death that Ju Yan learned a lot of things. He suddenly realized that if my grandfather had taken them in materially, then Mrs. Pei Nai had taken him in spiritually.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)